BEST CARMEL APPLES RECIPES

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar. Add beaten egg and mix well. Add vanilla.
• In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add to creamed mixture. Add grated apples.
• Pour mixture into a greased 9 x 9 inch baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
• For frosting: Bring brown sugar, butter and milk to a boil. Boil only 2 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat and add sifted powdered sugar while stirring. Cool slightly and spread on bars. Sprinkle chopped pecans on top.
• Cool completely and cut into bars. Store in air-tight container to retain moisture.
• Note: If you prefer sweeter, add 1/4 cup sugar to batter of bars, but remember the apple juice from the grated apples will provide some sweetness. We enjoy it as is because the carmel frosting is sweet. Also, we have had them with no frosting and just a sprinkling of powdered sugar on top. Enjoy!

Steps:

• In a large heavy-bottomed pot (like a Dutch oven), melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter is melted, stir in the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to soften; 5 to 6 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, and then cook, stirring everything around the pot, for 30 seconds.
• Scatter the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, until it looks medium blonde in color; about 1 minute. It will smell toasty, like browned butter.
• Slowly whisk in 2 cups of the stock, making sure there aren’t any lumps of flour. It will be thick.
• Pour in the remaining stock and whisk until blended. Increase the heat and bring the soup to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
• Add the potatoes and bay leaf, and then cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are fork tender; about 20 minutes.
• Turn the heat to low, remove the bay leaf, and then stir in the cream and cheese.
• Taste for seasoning then adjust with more salt and pepper as needed. Serve with fresh herbs on top or for a thick and blended soup, use a potato masher to mash or an immersion blender to blend about half of the potatoes in the soup (this is Joanne’s favorite way to serve the soup).